Data, not algorithms, is key to machine learning success

By boris, January 06, 2016 There has been an explosion in machine learning activity, and Shivon Zilis recently mapped out the current machine intelligence ecosystem as we enter 2016. This is one of the key areas that we’ll be following this year. While the opportunities here are tremendous, the exuberance surrounding machine learning distracts startups from a key hurdle: it’s data, not algorithms, that will dictate who wins in this space. Algorithms have largely been commoditized by now, so a machine learning company built around publicly accessible data isn’t defensible. Access to unique data isn’t a problem for incumbents like Google, Facebook, and Amazon. But, startups face a serious chicken and egg problem: they have to convince people to give them data, but the machine intelligence service won’t be useful…